Massive rally in Vasco demands restoration of consent to handle coal

The port town of Vasco witnessed a historic
rally when under the aegis of ‘Rozgar Bachao Abhiyan’ over
5000 members of the Mormugao Port fraternity which included
employees and workers of the port and port users,
transporters, stevedores, vessel agents and EXIM traders marched
in silent protest in demand of their right to livelihood and for the
survival of Mormugao Port.

The rally culminated at the Mormugao Port
Institute where the participants were addressed by the Convener of the
rally ShriShekar Khadapkar, and other prominent leaders.

Never in the history of the port has town
had such a massive gathering of people come together in a silent and peaceful
manner demanding their right to employment and sustenance. A memorandum was
handed over to the Dy. Collector of Mormugao, by the Convener of the
‘Rozgar Bachao Abhiyan’ and other leaders demanding among others the
Goa Pollution Control Board to be unbiased in reporting the pollution figures
and issuing guidelines for containment of pollution, besides the
restoration of consent for handling of coal at the port. The serving
employees and a large number of pensioners of the MPT were joined by
the employees of the Shipping companies, Stevedores, transporters and all the
trade connected with the port operations.

The meeting held at
the Mormugao Port Institute premises was addressed by the
convener Shri ShekarKhadapkar, Shri Laxmikant Gawde,
Labour Trustee of the Port, and General Secretary of the Goa Port & Dock
Employees Union, Shri Prasad Nayak, President of
the MPT Officers Association, Shri FrankeyGomes,
President of the South Goa Truckers Association and Shri Leonard Rodrigues Working
President, of Mormugao Port & Railway Workers Union and Trustee
of the Port, and Shri Ashish Machado, President of the Shipping
Agents & representative of the Mormugao Stevedores
Association.

All the speakers made a fervent plea to
the State Government and the State Authorities not to infringe on the authority
of the Port, which was a Central Government body to serve the maritime trade,
to prescribe pollution containment measures and to restore the consent to
handle coal at the port as per the environmental norms and guidelines.